Winter or Spring. Just Pick One...

I was going to write about Be Kind, Rewind but after 4 straight blogs about movies I think it's time to change the subject.

I love Winter. I also love spring. I love all seasons actually. But I hate the cusp between winter and spring the most. Right now. When it's late February and it's getting a little warmer and the sun is staying up a little later I start to get excited. But it' bittersweet. I love snow and winter and cleaning off my car after a storm. And I also finally started snowboarding and I haven't gotten enough of it yet. But on the other hand, if it was just 20 degrees warmer I could put on a sweater and play golf. I would kill to play golf right now.














It's just the worst in between phase there is. Actually no, the period right before winter also sucks. Essentially for both in between phases there is just a period of time where it's too cold to do fun things outside but not also not snowing so it's nice out. That was one of the only bad things about Michigan. It really does experience every season to the fullest. Every single week is a slow progression into the coming season. New York on the other hand, was 4 distinct seasons including a very short winter. One day it's summer, the next it's fall. No in between days. It's kind of nice.

Of course soon there will be the usual spring preview that Michigan loves so much. One random week in late March or early April where, for no apparent reason, it will be 75 for 2 or 3 days in a row followed by a sudden drop back to the 30s and about 3 more inches of snow. I will never understand that but I love Michigan for that.

Anyways, thats really all I have to say about that. But seriously, Be Kind, Rewind is a must see. Very commercially appealing and much more mainstream than Gondry's earlier films. I personally liked it more than Science of Sleep but not as much as Eternal Sunshine.

Go big...

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - Anyone watch the debate last night? Is it just me or does every time Clinton opens her mouth make her less appealing. She has gotten so negative, not just with attacks on Barack but just the whole tone of her campaign, that I can't stand to hear her talk anymore. It's strange that just a few months ago I was on the fence about which one to vote for and now (granted I've put all of my eggs in Obama's basket but still) I almost can't stand Hillary. It's too bad. Not only is she ruining herself in my eyes but she's taking my boy Bill with her. Hopefully she loses on Tuesday and bows out gracefully...

My Body is Broken...

So yesterday I finally got to go snowboarding. For the first time. Today I feel like King Theodin in Lord of the Rings when he said, "My body is broken..." Indeed good sir. Indeed. Aside from my knees being tore up, my hamstrings beaten, my sore neck, aching back and throbbing tailbone, I feel great. I love soreness from doing something new. For some reason I always thought that I would be awesome at snowboarding my first time. I'm not sure why, but I guess it's because I was never afraid of it. Unlike when I used to be a skater, I was always afraid of having a tough fall in the concrete and breaking my face. Or when I surfed I was afraid of not just the ocean but everything that was inside of it.

Snowboarding, on the other hand, is on snow. And while it still hurts to fall on tightly packed snow that is very firm, it isn't painful enough to deter me from continuing. I fell. A lot. And rolled and skidded and tumbled and injured my way through a couple hours of exhilaration. After a few times down the intermediate hill (we actually thought it was the beginner hill beginner is for douchebags) we figured we were ready for a new challenge and the big jump or the snaking half-pipe seemed to be the obvious choices.















Mistakes were made and while I was able to do small jumps and such on the intermediate hill, jumping off of what is basically a ramp is a bad idea when you don't know what you're doing. Anyways what happened was pretty funny to watch. I had 3 perfect curves down the hill and hit the jump with so much speed that I flew in the air and landed square on my head, ass and back and skidded down the entire landing. Then since my hat fell off my head when I landed I had to unstrap my board and walk back up the hill to get my hat. And that was pretty much my best run. My last run was pretty good actually, I only fell once and then almost finished a jump toward the end of the half pipe and landed it for about half a second before I fell on my tailbone. All in all I am in a lot of pain today but definitely going back again soon.

Anyways, the reason we went for the big jump when we could barely get down a normal hill is because my motto haunts me: go big or go home. I got it from a snowboarding movie so it was only fitting I try. Also I'm convinced the hardest part to snowboarding is holding on to the damn towrope. My forearms are dead.

go big

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - here's a little video of me when I first got there. It was my 2nd time down the hill. I strapped the camera cord onto my zipper hole and let it hang so it's a little crooked but very very funny. You actually can't see a whole lot, it's more funny because you can't see what's happening and only hear my screams...

-27...Really?

So I have had this burning desire to snowboard since I was a junior in high school. I was 16. I'm currently 25 and have still not gone. There are 2 places to go within 40 minutes of where I went to high school and college and yet somehow every time I want to go, people bail or don't want to join. That coupled with the fact that despite very cold winters with lots of snow, there really aren't too many opportunities to get out and do it here since there are really no hills in 90 percent of the state.















So yesterday I was all set to go. It had been planned. We found a place that was by Grand Rapids that was only 15 dollars to rent a board, lift ticket and a lesson. That's probably the most ridiculous deal ever. So I woke up and the weather said it was -22. I talked a lot of shit about how I didn't care and how I would go anyways but then I stepped outside. It was pretty cold. Then later it went down to -27. It was very cold. And windy. So I didn't go. And still haven't. But mark my words, this sunday I am going come hell or high water.

Also on the lighter side of -27 degree temperatures...My car door was frozen shut. So I went to my passenger side. It too was frozen. So I had to get in the back seat and rearrange the passenger seat so I could get my leg around the stick. It was very ridiculous. I looked extremely silly, but what are you gonna do.

Go big...

-M, p, z & shredder

oh ps - Yes We Can is on my iPod and honestly, when you're lifting, there are few songs that pump you up like this song does. A lot of people go for volume and fast guitars when they lift but I prefer the Fort Minor Remember the Name type of pump up song. Yes We Can will make sure you put up that last rep. Just do it.

pps- You know what song is not so good on a workout mix when you're at the gym with a bunch of dudes and you're not gay? R Kelly - Bump and Grind. Take my word for it.